School of Education Fund for Excellence

Dakota Willis '13 had
dreamed of attending William & Mary long before she was accepted for
admission. Childhood trips to the beach
always guaranteed a stop in Williamsburg for sandwiches at College Delly and a
walk through the sun-soaked Sunken Garden.
"William & Mary is prestigious and challenging, yet small enough
that I feel like I really matter," she says. "I'm not just a number in a sea of
thousands of students."

In addition to its
reputation and size, Dakota was moved to attend William & Mary because of
its deep sense of community and family-like feel. "I think it is obvious that students care
about other each other and want everyone to stay safe and healthy," she says. "I
know how similar my values are to the values of other students at William &
Mary. We all come together to support a student in need, and I can't imagine
another campus that feels more like a family."

Students are not the
only members who define the William & Mary family. Faculty members work one-on-one
with students to help them be successful. Educational Psychology Professor George
Bass worked closely with Dakota, preparing her for work with elementary school
students.

The mentoring that
Dakota has received from School of Education faculty like Professor Bass is
complemented by a classroom experience, which prepares William & Mary students
for a complex and ever-changing world.

"We don't just
discuss hundred-year-old theories," she says. "We talk about gay rights, racial
inequalities, immigration policies, and gender inequalities. If I hadn't been informed about these issues,
and we had not discussed them in my classes, I would not be as prepared to go
out and work toward social change."

The William &
Mary family extends well beyond campus. Without the generosity of alumni and
friends through private gifts, Dakota, a scholarship recipient, would not have
been able to attend the College. Gifts
to the School of Education's Fund for Excellence ensure that she, and other
aspiring educators, are being well prepared for the classroom.

"I encourage anyone
who is able to give, to seriously consider doing so," she says. "Without your
contributions, students who love William & Mary — students who dream of coming
here and changing the world — might be unable to do so because of the financial
burden. Financial status should not be
what prevents a deserving student from achieving his or her greatest potential
in life."

Today, Dakota sits on
the steps of the Sunken Garden soaking in the sun like she did as a child, confident
that she is well prepared for the next leg of her life's journey.